Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
States forgave billions in fraudulent pandemic benefits
It was bad enough that fraudsters stole tens of billions of dollars in bogus pandemic-era unemployment benefits -- now it turns out states forgave much of that money without even trying to claw it back. Published September 29, 2025
Why it was easy for an illegal immigrant to land top job in Des Moines’ public schools
The arrest of an illegal immigrant serving as superintendent of Des Moines' schools has exposed a broader problem in America's public education system: Few of them are using E-Verify, the federal government's tool to weed out people not authorized to work. Published September 29, 2025
New York left worker on job training rolls for 21 years; thousands in system after ending program
Twenty-one years is a long time to be in a job-training program. But that's just what New York's Department of Labor systems showed, according to a new inspector general's audit that found the state left thousands of people on its rolls well after they'd completed their federally funded training programs. Published September 29, 2025
Iowa revokes education license of illegal immigrant who worked as school superintendent
Iowa officials have revoked the education license of Ian Andre Roberts, an illegal immigrant from Guyana who managed to become school superintendent in Des Moines, the state's largest education system. Published September 29, 2025
Trump takes birthright citizenship case back to Supreme Court
The administration has asked the Supreme Court to approve his move to deny recognition of birthright citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants and temporary visitors, teeing up one of the biggest constitutional fights of the Trump presidency. Published September 27, 2025
Supreme Court allows Trump to block billions in foreign aid money
The Supreme Court brushed aside a lower court ruling Friday and cleared the way for President Trump to do a "pocket rescission" of $4 billion in foreign assistance money Congress approved but he doesn't want to spend. Published September 26, 2025
Nevada works its way off DOJ’s sanctuary jurisdiction list
Nevada has reached an agreement to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, earning the state its way off the Justice Department's name-and-shame list for sanctuary jurisdictions on Friday. Published September 26, 2025
Supreme Court’s nationwide injunction ruling fizzles as judges find new ways to stop Trump
Hyperventilating ran heavy in June after the Supreme Court issued its ruling that courts had been too profligate in using nationwide injunctions to stop the president, and ordered lower judges to cool it. Published September 26, 2025
Biden let them in: DHS highlights immigrants charged in shooting at Little League game
Homeland Security heaped blame on the Biden administration Friday after revealing that two of the suspects charged with firing guns near a children's baseball game in Texas this week were immigrants approved for status in 2021 and 2023. Published September 26, 2025
Department of Justice sues six states in order to access their voter rolls
The Department of Justice on Thursday announced lawsuits against six states that have refused to turn over their voter rolls to the federal government, which wants to investigate whether the lists are being properly maintained. Published September 25, 2025
Immigration groups blame ‘dehumanizing’ Trump policies for anti-ICE shooting in Dallas
For immigrant rights groups, the anti-ICE shooting in Texas was worthy of condemnation -- but some took pains to say the deportation agency bore at least part of the blame for a "climate of violence" that led to the incident. One migrant died in the shooting and two others were critically wounded. Published September 25, 2025
Judge rules Trump broke law by firing inspectors general, but can’t restore them to office
A federal judge said Wednesday that President Trump broke the law when he fired many of the government's inspectors general, but she said she's powerless at this point to restore their jobs. Published September 24, 2025
America’s guest-worker H-1B visas sought in some unexpected fields like journalism and pickleball
Millions of Americans already play pickleball, so when news broke that companies were applying to the government for a guest-worker visa to hire immigrants as coaches -- at salaries up to $95,000 -- condemnation was swift and severe. Published September 24, 2025
Political violence strikes ICE office in Dallas
Political violence reared again Wednesday when a gunman attacked an ICE office in Dallas, killing one migrant detainee and wounding two others before taking his own life. Published September 24, 2025
California county decides it’s time to remove pets from voter rolls
Orange County in California ordered its voter registrar on Tuesday to scour voting lists and remove any names of pets that somehow made it onto the rolls. Published September 24, 2025
DHS: 1.6 million illegal immigrants self-deported since Trump took office
The Homeland Security Department estimated Tuesday that 1.6 million illegal immigrants have self-deported since President Trump took office eight months ago. Published September 23, 2025
U.S. tags 18th Street gang as terrorist group
The State Department on Tuesday formally declared 18th Street, or Barrio 18, to be a terrorist organization, placing it alongside MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as international gangs that have deep reaches inside the U.S. Published September 23, 2025
Illegal immigrant accused of strangling his infant sister in Loudoun County, Virginia
Federal immigration authorities have issued a deportation order request for a man charged with strangling his infant sister last week in Loudoun County, Virginia. Published September 23, 2025
Supreme Court OKs Trump firing of FTC official, may end 80-year executive power limit
The Supreme Court signaled Monday that it is prepared to embrace expansive firing powers for the president, as the justices allowed President Trump to move ahead with booting a member of the Federal Trade Commission. Published September 22, 2025
Charlie Kirk’s supporters trounce opponents in crowdfunding battle
Hours after Charlie Kirk's assassination, the first major crowdfunding campaign was launched to support his family. Published September 22, 2025
